FAMSI © 2007: Brett A. Houk Chan Chich Archaeological Project Research Year : 1997 Culture : Maya Chronology : Protoclassic Location : Orange Walk District, Belize Site : Chan Chich Table of Contents Introduction Background Forest Types at Chan Chich Previous Investigations Results of the 1996 Season Project Ressearch Design Long Term Research Objectives General Excavation Goals 1997 Research Objectives Excavation of a Protoclassic Tomb Suboperations A, C–G, I, and J Tomb 2 Contents of Tomb 2 Jade Artifacts Ceramic Vessels Possible Codex Fragment Paint or Stucco Problematic Serpent-Shaped Object Summary References Cited Submitted 01/01/1999 by : Brett A. Houk Texas Tech University [email protected] Report on the Chan Chich Archaeological Project: 1997 Extended Season April 1998 Report submitted to the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. Project Number 97004 Brett A. Houk Chan Chich Archaeological Project CCCCAAPP Chan Chich, Belize - Central America Figures Figure 1. Location of Chan Chich in the Three Rivers Region. .......................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Looking west from the top of Structure A-1 at the La Lucha Escarpment. ......................................... 4 Figure 3. Looter’s trench in the west face of Structure A-15 at Chan Chich. .....................................................6 Figure 4. Map of Chan Chich site center. ............................................................................................................ 7 Figure 5. Distribution of site plan types in the Three Rivers Region. ............................................................... 10 Figure 6. Location of Subops at Operation 2. ................................................................................................... 13 Figure 7. Photograph of expanded excavations west of Subop A ..................................................................... 13 Figure 8. Planview of the Subop A excavation area showing ........................................................................... 15 Figure 9. Schematic view of the Subop A excavation area’s north cross-section. ............................................ 15 Figure 10. Photograph of Tomb 2 after it was completely exposed. ................................................................. 17 Figure 11. Plan map of Tomb 2, Upper Plaza, Chan Chich............................................................................... 18 Figure 12. Photograph of south end of Tomb 2, facing west, after vessels have been exposed. ....................... 19 Figure 13. Photograph of Vessel 9 in situ, facing west...................................................................................... 19 Figure 14. Photograph of jade artifacts in situ in Tomb 2, facing south. .......................................................... 20 Figure 15. Photograph of problematic, serpent-shaped artifact, facing north. .................................................. 20 Figure 16. The Romero (1970) classification system for culturally modified teeth in Mesoamerica. .............. 21 Figure 17. Jade artifacts from Tomb 2. .............................................................................................................. 22 Figure 18. Spouted Protoclassic vessels from Tomb 2 at Chan Chich. ............................................................. 23 Figure 19. Remaining Protoclassic vessels from Tomb 2 at Chan Chich. ........................................................ 24 Figure 20. Tomb 2 during excavations. ............................................................................................................. 26 i Introduction piece of wood was recovered. Additionally, another wooden (?) artifact resembling a snake (scepter or This report documents the results of the extended 1997 staff?) is partially preserved in the north end of the season of the Chan Chich Archaeological Project tomb. Samples were collected, but the remainder of (CCAP) which was partially funded by a grant from the artifact was reburied at the suggestion of Paul Fran- the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican cisco of the Department of Archaeology in Belmopan. Studies, Inc. (FAMSI) to the author (Project 97004). The 1997 Chan Chich Archaeological Project (CCAP) The jade pendant marks this as a royal tomb. The young was a six week project that included plaza test pitting, age of the occupant may have important implications limited structural testing (the ballcourt and staircase for the nature of rulership and kingship in the Low- to Structure A-1), and looter’s trench profiling. The lands during the Protoclassic. If the wooden artifact is field work was conducted by field school students un- actually a scepter, it could represent one of the earliest der the direction of the author (project director) and examples of the double-headed serpent bar associated Hubert Robichaux (field director). with rulers during the Classic period. A plaza test pit in the Upper Plaza was opened during Because of a previous teaching commitment, the the first week of the season in an attempt to gather project director had to return to Texas on June 23, 1997. chronological data related to what appears to be the This allowed insufficient time to document adequately, oldest part of the site (Robichaux 1998). Based on the to conserve, and to transport to Belmopan the contents complex stratigraphy and unusual architectural features of the tomb. Funding was requested from FAMSI for encountered in the test pit, the excavation was ex- an extension of the project in August because of the panded to the west. This enlarged unit encountered a poor condition of the wood and bone recovered from collapsed chamber at approximately 2.4 m below the the tomb. These artifacts will deteriorate more rapidly current surface of the plaza. The excavation unit was now that they have been removed from the matrix in expanded farther to the south and west to allow for which they have been encased for 1800 years. greater exposure of this chamber (Robichaux 1998). Funding was requested to return the project director, After five weeks of excavation, it wasclear that the Brett A. Houk, to Belize for four days in August to chamber was a collapsed tomb, originally carved into stabilize the wood samples and skeletal material re- bedrock and capped with large limestone blocks. The moved from the tomb, to prepare this material for ex- tomb was not vaulted and apparently lacked sufficient portation to the United States for analysis, and to trans- architectural support to withstand the weight of later port the remaining tomb artifacts to the Department of plaza floors which were built upon it. Prior to col- Archaeology in Belmopan. Paul Francisco, a conser- lapsing, however, the chamber was filled (either in- vator with the DOA, was to assist with conserving and tentionally or naturally) with a deposit of soft marl packaging the bone and wood, and with preparing the which covered the tomb’s contents and protected them remaining artifacts for shipment to Belmopan. from being crushed by the eventual collapse of the roof (Robichaux 1998). Funding was requested to cover the cost of airfare for Houk, departure tax to leave Belize for Houk, room The chamber is oriented north/south, is approximately and board for four days for Houk and Francisco, truck 3.3 m long by 1 m wide, and is carved into bedrock rental for four days, gas, conservation and packing with the floor approximately 3.0 m below ground sur- supplies, film and developing, and of preliminary face. The packed marl deposit and cramped work space analysis of the wood samples from the tomb. Addi- resulted in slow exposure of the tomb’s contents. The tionally, funding was requested to cover the 5 percent tomb contained eleven Protoclassic vessels (Robichaux administrative cost assessed by the Department of Ar- 1998). chaeology in Belize, based on expenditures in Belize. Because no additional excavations will be conducted The other grave goods include two jade earspools, a under this budget, it was assumed that the 15 percent tubular jade bead, and a jade pendant which is virtu- consolidation fee would not be required. ally identical to royal insignia jewels from Cerros and Nohmul dating to the Late Preclassic Period. A small 1 After the FAMSI grant was awarded, a matching con- the Main Plaza provide surface water throughout the tribution was made by a private individual. These ad- year. ditional funds were used to bring Robichaux (who oversaw the excavation of the tomb) and Ashlyn Mad- Chan Chich is located near the southern boundary of a den (a technical illustrator) to Belize to assist with the geographically defined study area known as the Three project. Fred Valdez, who was in Belize at the time, Rivers Region (Adams 1995; Houk 1996a). The Río assisted with the analysis of the ceramic vessels from Azul forms the western border of the region in Guate- the tomb. mala (Figure 1). The northern boundary is marked by the marshy expanse paralleling the Río Azul and the Río Hondo. The eastern boundary is defined by the Background Booth’s River. The southern limit of the Three Rivers Region is somewhat arbitrarily placed south of Chan Chich (Adams 1995). The ruins of Chan Chich are in dense tropical forest in the Orange Walk District of northwest Belize, approxi- mately 4 km east of the border with Guatemala (Fig- ure 1). The approximate UTM coordinates of the Main Environmental Setting Plaza are: Zone 16, N 19 40 250, E 2 75 800.